Passing Circumstance
by Conjure Lass
Summary: Time tends to heal most wounds, but some things are meant to come full circle whether we want them to or not.  Mello x Near
1. Chapter 1

Hey Everyone!

I took a break from my Kingdom Hearts fics to play with Death Note for a while! Sorry if this disappoints anyone, but I really love this pairing a LOT.

Pairing: Mello x Near

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, nor am I making any money off this. I just want to play with them.

PASSING CIRCUMSTANCE:

Near had once heard that time heals all wounds, and for someone who barely felt his own injuries, he'd pretty much always found that cliché to be true. Each disappointment, each failure (yes, he failed, despite what others might say), each momentary lapse in his perfect control, every baseless fear; all these things were easily healed by a few months, a few years. Before he knew the time had passed he was well over the situation, finding himself thrown into some other problem or puzzle that needed his attention. The perfect medicine for someone who was so pathetically inept at dealing with his own admittedly underdeveloped emotions.

And yet there were some things that seemed to only scab over, thin and easily pulled off by some present concern, seemingly immune to the idea that time should have surely healed such a trifle. Leaving Near to ponder the inconsistency and inwardly despise it.

When he had been dropped off at the Wammy House as a child, Near had brought very little with him other than a few meager possessions and the scars that he would carry for the rest of his life, never acknowledging those demons again. One item in particular had been his favorite, the one thing he'd grabbed as he'd run for his life and into the darkness, clinging to it in the middle of the night as he shivered against the cold, even as he watched his young life go up in flames. It was a small stuffed sheep, fluffy and barely white, that he curled himself around as he tried desperately not to cry that first night at the orphanage, even though he wasn't sure why he was doing so. What harm was there in crying anyway?

"What's that?" he'd heard from the bed on the other side of the room, his tiny head popping up over the wooly sheep, the two nearly blending together until it was hard to tell where the sheep ended and Near's snowy hair began. A pair of dark eyes glared at him, rather accusingly, as they waited for the answer, his thin arms crossed over his chest. At first the younger child was confused…was this other boy talking to him? Though when the blonde head was cocked to the side, the angular face screwed up in annoyance (though why he was annoyed was beyond Near), Near knew that he was being spoken to.

"Have you lost your tongue? Say something!"

"What do you want me to say?" Near said, his voice flat, burying his nose back behind the stuffed animal and attempting to sleep. He was…bothered by this young man, could feel a rising heat in his chest that he immediately pushed down. "It's a stuffed animal."

The rustling of sheets and the hard footsteps of someone losing their temper wasn't enough to make him look up, nor was the obvious breathing that was quickly coming closer. He only looked up when he felt a hand on top of his head, not necessarily hurting him, but obviously not meant for comfort. The face that looked at him was…interesting. There was no other words for it. Not necessarily ugly, not beautiful, not anything…just interesting. Near found himself unable to stop looking, his own face emotionless and cold in response to this newcomer. Apparently that made him angrier, because the fingers that had been merely sitting on his hair dug in, holding Near's head motionless.

"You could at least introduce yourself," he huffed, his eyes narrowing. "I'm Mello…well…that's not my real name…but I'm not telling you that."

"I didn't ask," Near replied, shrugging Mello's fingers out of his hair and turning over, giving the blonde his back. "They told me I'm Near."

For a few moments they both sat in silence, Near still feeling the blonde standing over him for what seemed like a solid five minutes as he intentionally kept his breathing even and flat. Finally Mello turned (loudly…everything he did was _loud_ ) and went back to his own bed, the rustling of sheets filling the room until the older boy found a comfortable position to sleep in. A held breath was exhaled, one that Near hadn't known he was holding, and he cuddled into the fluffy white sheep once again, determined to fall asleep.

Time passed slowly at the Wammy House, and unfortunately, like so many other things in life, the small fluffy sheep that had been his favorite possession as a child one day vanished without a trace. Though Near (and just about every adult in the entire orphanage) searched for it, they had come up empty handed, leaving the small boy a little sad, but with a pile of brand new things to play with in an attempt to make him feel better about the situation.

Only time had really made him forget about it, pushing the memory of childhood toys and bleak, sad nights in his bed into the back of his mind as the clock pushed ever onward. From time to time however, no matter how silly it was, he still wondered what had become of that stuffed creature, not liking the sensation of not knowing something. He hated things left undone, unfinished, unsorted…it went outside his safety box, though he didn't like admitting that's what it was. He preferred to think of it as order and logic, and whatever made him feel most secure was exactly how he would classify it.

Order and logic were of little use however years later as Near sat on his clean white bed, the soft sound of rain gently hitting the window to his left and rolling down the glass in endless rivers. Without thinking he stood up, walking over to it and putting his fingertips against the cool surface, feeling a shiver move down his back. Squinting, his face fell, bottom lip jutting out (thank god no one could see that) as he watched a lonely figure walking through the gates of the institution, the bars closing back behind him…leaving…forever it seemed. It was as lonely to watch that departure as it was to look over at the bed on the opposite side of the room, just as empty…just as quiet.

Since when was it ever quiet in their room?

When he couldn't see Mello anymore he slowly tore himself away from the window like a reluctant lover, making his way over to the bedroom door where he paused for a moment. The lock turned easily in between his fingertips as he pressed his palm against the wood, feeling almost guilty as he knew that there was a rule about "no locked doors" in the orphanage. However, he didn't think anyone was going to be bothering him tonight…and he just didn't feel like explaining himself on the odd chance that anyone should come to offer him comfort. He had no reason to explain anything, and he had no patience for empty and shallow gestures.

"Mello," he said softly, his fingers brushing over the smooth footboard of his rival's bed, memorizing the way it felt because he knew that the bed would soon be gone. Near would be alone in this room now, left to his own devices as he apparently became the successor of L, allowed the privacy and space that he almost always preferred. Except now. Right now, though he struggled against the feeling, he wished for nothing more than the normal sounds of the night. Mello rummaging around in the bathroom, taking his clothes off as he walked and letting them fall wherever they might land, the inevitable tossing and turning and punching of pillows as he attempted to get comfortable enough to sleep.

But there was none of that…it was silent. Near would find no rest tonight.

Frustrated at himself, though not showing it, he sat down on Mello's bed and pulled his knees up to his chest, staring blankly at the wall as his fingers found their way into his own hair. The blonde had never once made his bed, and so the sheets were still strewn around, the pillows bore the indentation of his head and there were chocolate wrappers littered about the legs of the bed frame. So damn disorganized…so very, very Mello. It had often been a source of confusion for Near (and thus a source of annoyance) as to why he even I cared /I so much about Mello's odd, messy habits. But he did, even if no one knew that.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something poking from under the fussed-with pillow as though it was put there on purpose for him to find. Mello rarely did anything without some kind of purpose, even if his emotions might get in the way of his true objective, and so Near reached down to grab it, laying down on the bed in the process. His dark eyes widened as he blinked…a picture…a picture of Mello. It wasn't anything spectacular, just one of the yearly pictures that they always took at the institution, but the significance of it was not the actual photograph.

It was that Mello had left it behind, for reasons that Near could only guess at.

Near brought the picture close to his face, looking at it intensely before rolling over, pushing his face into Mello's pillow. The entire bed smelled of the older boy, a strange mix of sweet and musk, like sitting outside in the mud after a hard rain while licking a lollipop. Without thinking the white-haired boy found his body curling around Mello's pillow, the picture clutched firmly in his fingers as he struggled with himself to keep up the walls that had taken a lifetime to build. He wouldn't allow this to hurt for long, wouldn't allow himself to feel anything other than a vague sense of loss, a small sting instead of the gaping wound that he probably should have been feeling. It would be over, out of his heart by tomorrow when he walked out of his room and back into the orphanage to become L's successor.

But that didn't mean it didn't hurt right now…

"_Mello_ …"

"_Near_."

This hurt too, hearing those footsteps that he'd never thought he'd hear again walking away from him, having come back only for that damnable photograph. It had hurt like hell to know that Mello was there, pointing that weapon at him, knowing how much the blonde desperately wanted to pull the trigger. It all hurt, but not as much as it should have. In the end his sense of self-preservation just wasn't high enough, he didn't value himself enough, didn't care enough about tomorrow, the day after that.

After the door shut, a resounding sound echoing through the room like a bell, it was the last he thought he'd ever hear from Mello. Days went by and he put it out of his mind, concentrated on the Kira case, poured every ounce of his attention and spirit into defeating the person who had killed someone he admired and adored. So it was with no small amount of surprise that Rester brought him a small grey envelope, a glob of white wax holding it together with a "M" pressed into it. Mello always had a flair for the dramatic and an odd ability to throw Near off balance.

"Should we have it checked? Perhaps there's something in it," Rester said, his voice worried. Near merely shook his head, reaching out for the letter; a silent order that he expected to see followed.

He grinned slightly as he cracked the seal of the envelope, pulling out a small piece of folded paper and running it between his fingers. When he finally opened it his eyes widened a bit cocking his head to the side as he read the gentle curving lines of Mello's handwriting. Such girly handwriting…Mello would probably get angry if Near mentioned it…he'd have to remember to do so.

Near,

Meet me at the Mandarin Oriental at 7 for drinks. Come alone. I have something I want to give you. And for the love of God get out of those pajamas! They have a dress code…

M

At first Near didn't quite know what to make of it, reading it two or three times just to be sure that he'd gotten it right. Mello and he had never been friends, never been the sort of people who would go out together and have drinks like old school-chums. So to say that this letter was suspicious was something of an understatement…and yet…he was intrigued. What could Mello possibly have to give him other than frustration? Lowering the note, he glanced over at Lester and took a deep breath. It wasn't any of their concern what he did or who he went to see, and he was an adult so he could do as he pleased without asking permission. So why then, did he feel so nervous? Looking down at the note in his hands, he slowly began to understand the nervous reaction, though that didn't make him feel any better about it.

"Commander Rester," he said suddenly, standing up and looking over at the clock on one of the computer screens. Five-Thirty. He didn't have much time. "I will be leaving this evening with Giovanni as my driver. Please don't follow me where I'm going."

"But!"

Near's eyes narrowed, the barest hints of some hidden temper. "Do not make me repeat myself. Thank you."

Forty-five minutes later he was standing in front of a mirror looking absolutely ridiculous as he studied himself with a wary eye. He didn't feel very comfortable, and once again he was struck with the curiosity of why people forced themselves to wear these sorts of things. The white pants that clung to his legs and billowed out a bit at the knee were constraining at best, the black London Fog coat that went to his thigh wasn't too bad though, appealing even…but he still felt uncomfortable. The only things about getting dressed he didn't mind were the soft white shoes with the clunky soles that he'd had for years.

It wasn't until he was in the car, Giovanni looking back at him in the rear-view mirror with a curious stare, that he realized he'd forgotten to brush his hair. Sighing inwardly, he pulled his leg up (with effort, since the pants really didn't allow for this kind of movement) and played with his hair, trying to think of what Mello might want. Whatever it happened to be, it probably wasn't worth exposing himself in public, but Near was curious nonetheless. Curious enough to go outside his safety box, curious enough to dress himself differently than normal, curious enough to put aside his better judgment…at least for a few hours.

"You're sure you'll be all right?" Giovanni asked him as he stepped out of the car, looking up at the curved glitter of the Time Warner building that the hotel was inside, shivering slightly at the feel of a cold breath of air that blew his hair back from his face gently. He glanced back at Giovanni only once, nodding slowly, and then walked into the building.

Mello had always been one to appreciate opulence, and this hotel was certainly no different from what Near had been expecting. From the floor to the ceiling, the entire place screamed expensive, gaudy, and all together much more than the younger man was accustomed to dealing with. Though he could have anything his heart desired (within reason), he was usually content with his toys and a few select things he preferred. Mello…Mello had never been like that. He wanted to be number one with everything that came with it.

Pausing in the doorway to the bar, he was stopped by a man in a suit who gave him a very appraising look up and down. It was the sort of look intended to make him think twice about coming in or make him feel inferior…and it wasn't working. He'd had people look at him like that before, and he was just as unimpressed with the performance this time as he was every other time. Without saying anything he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his fake ID, the one he'd had the foresight to remember before leaving headquarters, and handed it to the man.

With that he walked away, only slightly amused at the bartender's expression (what…didn't Near _look_ twenty-one?), as he looked around, concerned when he didn't see the older boy anywhere. Where was Mello? For a moment Near became a little nervous, hoping that he hadn't come all this way for nothing, though not putting it past the volatile blonde to stand him up. He was just wandering by a darkened booth, all leather and expensive wooden tables with pressed nickel tops, when he felt his wrist covered up in someone's grasp, making his dark eyes snap towards the source of the personal intrusion.

"Mello," he said, his voice flatter than he was actually feeling, his face giving away nothing. What to say now? It wasn't as though he could use niceties like normal people did, it wasn't as though he could just say "well, Mello, it's nice to see you" or something ridiculous like that. Though if he were being more honest with himself, he would have been able to admit that he really _was_ kind of glad to see him. Glad that he wasn't dead, glad that he didn't appear to be too worse for wear.

Of course…that would require him to admit some things that he wasn't ready to admit yet. Probably never.

"Near," Mello countered, sliding back into the booth, his leather pants hissing along the less soft leather of the seat. "Are you going to sit down or keep attracting attention like a dumbstruck idiot?"

It was only then that Near realized that he'd been standing around looking like a fool, quickly sliding into the booth, his eyes focusing on the table in front of him. He felt at a distinct disadvantage out here in public, attempting to use what small social skills he possessed to help him manage the situation. Eventually he found himself looking up, blinking a few times as though he couldn't possibly be seeing what he was seeing.

Mello was dressed rather normally (as normal as so much leather could possibly be), though instead of just the leather vest he normally wore, there were long black sleeves underneath, frayed at the ends and trailing over his hands a bit. Those hands were devoid of gloves, the fingernails painted as they held a tall martini glass between them. Near struggled to keep his eyes neutral as Mello looked at him over the edge of the glass, hair falling over one eye as his tongue came out to lick at the rim, coming away with chocolate syrup and then retreating back into the blonde's mouth.

Chocolate martini…how very Mello…

He leaned back, one arm leaned against the booth, spreading his legs as he slinked downward to get comfortable, all predatory grace and lean muscle. Didn't the man ever sit with his legs closed? In the end though it didn't matter, as Near's eyes were hopelessly drawn to the glass in Mello's hands, brought up to his lips again. Glancing back down at the table, Near tried to think of something other than what he knew was going on five feet away. How could such a simple action cause him to become so flustered? Is that what he was feeling? He wasn't sure…it didn't happen that often…if at all.

"Aren't you going to get something to drink?" Mello said, his voice quiet, non-threatening. "It's going to look suspicious if you don't at least pretend to get something."

"This is a suspicious situation regardless of what I do Mello," Near answered, motioning his finger to the attendant who walked over and looked down at him, glancing over at Mello in a wary way. Mello merely looked at them, his hair falling over the new scars in what Near assumed was a non-conscious effort on Mello's part to hide them. Near was about to speak when the blonde intervened, waving an airy hand in the younger man's direction.

"He wants a rum rollover," Mello said, sipping at his own drink again, dipping his tongue down further and moving the hunk of chocolate that sat near the bottom. "But go easy on him…he's a lightweight."

When the waiter had brought the drink, Near looked down at the concoction and brought it to his lips, all the while Mello smirked from the opposite side of the table. Coconut…mixed with something he couldn't identify…mixed with pineapple…not all together displeasing.

"Mello," he said finally, licking a bit of the coconut milk off his lips. "I assume you didn't ask me here to get me drunk."

"Couldn't I just want to see you?" Mello answered, sitting up straight for the moment and leaning onto his elbows a bit, his hands folded in front of him, the epitome of polite behavior. "It's not uncommon for people who grew up together to want to see each other."

"It would surprise me if that were the case," Near answered, looking down at the table. He found that all he wanted to do was fidget under Mello's intent gaze, wished he'd brought one of his gundams with him to keep his hands occupied in the face of more personal conversation than he usually had in a week. He was woefully inadequate at this, terribly uncomfortable, didn't have the slightest clue of what to say. He'd been trained to be logical and calm, to assess a situation and predict an outcome. Social situations with emotion involved never tended to end exactly as planned, and were almost impossible to predict. He loathed that, despised the inconsistency, wanted to put the pieces together but couldn't…

And why was Mello scooting across the seat to sit next to him?

"You suck at small talk, has anyone ever told you that?" Mello said, putting his chin in his hand, sipping at the martini again with the other, his tongue lapping at the syrup. "Here."

With that Mello reached down into the bag that Near hadn't noticed was sitting beneath the table and drew out a small box, placing it in front of the two of them with a small smirk. Near cocked his head to the side, glancing sideways at Mello who was contentedly reclining next to him, obviously waiting for a reaction. Mello loved to see Near react (even a small amount); it seemed to have been a hobby for the older boy when they'd both been at the Wammy House. Near wondered slightly at Mello's demeanor, the stance of someone who was perfectly at ease with themselves, even though Near knew that to be a falsehood (Mello's ever-present inferiority complex more than proved that). The other man never seemed to be even slightly out of his element, though Near would have been hard pressed to say Mello was always relaxed…because he wasn't. But he was never afraid, or at least didn't appear to be.

Near was…often afraid. Of a lot.

The box that Mello had placed in front of Near was nothing extraordinary, no brightly colored paper, nothing to mark it as exceptional other than the fact that it was there and Mello was the one who had given it to him. At first he almost wondered if it held some kind of explosive, then tossed that idea aside as being unfounded and turned to look at the blonde who was just now finishing off his drink, lifting the hunk of chocolate out of the bottom of the glass and pushing it between his lips. The way the confection smeared across Mello's mouth, the tongue darting out to catch the mess, set off reactions in Near's stomach that he hadn't been aware existed. It hadn't been this bad before…why now, when he didn't think he had the capacity to do anything about it, was his body betraying him like this?

"What's in it?"

Mello's eyebrow raised, followed by a short laugh as he shook his head, blonde hair flying in every direction, finally settling back into place (though it would never be quite like the old pageboy that he used to wear) . Near's eyes narrowed for a brief moment, not understanding what was so amusing and finding he was annoyed by the lack of knowledge. This was why he avoided social contact as much as possible, kept himself locked behind a shield of ice, always remained introverted and quietly inept. And yet, somewhere inside, he knew that he yearned for things like this. Sitting with a friend over drinks talking about old times…normal things…

"Anthrax," Mello said, raising both eyebrows as he struggled to keep a straight face. Finally he rolled his eyes and gave an exasperated sigh, giving Near a very annoyed stare. "If you want to know, open the box. I'm not telling you shit."

"It's not my birthday," Near murmured quietly, slowly removing the top to the box and looking down at its contents. For a few seconds he wasn't quite sure what he was looking at, a pile of white fluff in a box with no real discernable clues as to its origins or shape, until finally his memory clicked into place and he reached down, pulling the fluffy animal out of its confinement. "You…," he ran his fingers over the button eyes of the sheep, soft memories of childhood comfort and loss rubbing at him like warm cotton.

"You stole this…you stole this from me when we were kids…" he clutched the sheep to his body, staring accusingly at Mello, who had the decency to look at least a little embarrassed at the situation. "Why on Earth are you giving it back to me now?"

Mello scooted backwards, giving Near a little more space, though not retreating all the way to his own side of the table. Minutes went by and they sat in silence, Near waiting somewhat patiently for the answer while Mello apparently tried to think of the right thing to say. The younger man had always found Mello's 'thinking face' to be very amusing, a very intent look that just stared off into space as though he could see nothing else in the entire world other than the inside of his own head.

Near had often wondered if he had a similar face, though he sort of doubted it. That face was all Mello…

"Well," Mello said finally, drawing Near's attention again with the softness of his voice. The older boy's voice was rarely soft; it made Near instantly wary. "You gave me back my picture, and I thought I sort of owed you…I guess…"

"You already gave me information Mello, that was more than enough," Near replied, pausing and studying the man sitting next to him. There was more to this gesture than Mello was admitting to, but that was all right. Near would have been hard-pressed indeed to admit how much he really hadn't wanted to give back that photograph…a little piece of Mello that he'd kept all this time. So he didn't begrudge the blonde his secrets, only wished that they both were a little more honest and a little less cowardly.

Finally, after the silence began to stretch again, Near spoke…saying something he probably would regret, knowing that he couldn't take it back. And yet he wanted to say it anyway, to watch Mello's response, to get some kind of answer for a question that had plagued and haunted him since he'd watched Mello walk away from the orphanage years ago. And yet the words were like syrup in between his lips, heavy and hard to spit out. Afraid…he was afraid…

"Mello," he began, his intensity causing him to scoot a few inches closer to the taller boy. "Why did you leave your picture behind that night?"

Mello started to protest, his mouth falling open with automatic denials, his eyes darting in multiple directions, but Near put his hand up to silence him.

"Please don't insult me by saying you didn't leave it behind on purpose. You're not stupid Mello and neither am I. I know you meant for me to find it. Why?"

Near kept his gaze transfixed on the blonde, watching the blue eyes close as he seemed to struggle with himself. Was it really so hard to tell the truth? Was it really so life-altering, spirit-shattering that it had to be agonized over? A myriad of emotions played across Mello's sharp features, the cheek twitching in agitation (or what Near assumed was agitation), finally settling on some measure of peace. For a breathless moment it seemed that Mello was going to ignore him, get up and leave, until finally…he spoke.

"Is it so odd to want to leave a piece of yourself behind?" he said, cocking his head to the side, looking slightly sad. "I mean…was it so wrong to want you to remember me?"

The younger man found himself taken aback, feeling his fingers dig into the small stuffed animal in his grasp for comfort, not knowing how to react. In the end, he didn't react much at all, merely blinking, not able to come up with a response anywhere fast enough for what he'd just been told. He had to keep reminding himself that this was Mello, the same Mello who hated him, loathed him, would have done anything to beat him. The same boy who had tormented him as a child, taunted him, and yet…there had been times…

"I think you left an indelible impression upon me, regardless of what pieces you chose to leave behind as a memento," Near replied softly, hand reaching up to twirl his hair between two pale fingers, not able to look at the person sitting next to him. Slowly he began to hear the swishing of leather against leather again, his eyes locked on the seat in front of him until a pair of leather pants invaded his vision.

"Why are you so close?" Near questioned softly, scooting backwards again. "I don't like people being so close…"

"Because I feel like it," Mello replied with a laugh, leaning down to try to look Near in the face, which he deftly avoided. Mello weaved in and out of his vision like a cobra, Near managing to keep their eyes from meeting only through a good deal of effort, like some kind of mouse too afraid move, to breath. Mello was, unfortunately, one of the most persistent people Near had ever met. "Why…does it bother you?"

"Yes," Near said, momentary anger making him raise his eyes and look at Mello who was now only a few inches away. "It does."

"Good."

"Good." Near said, his voice giving away only the slightest hint of annoyance, a thread of indignation. "Good?"

"Yes," Mello repeated, pulling his knee up to his chest with no effort (even in those tight leather pants). "You need more people to bother you. You're frigid…thaw out."

Each word, for reasons that Near couldn't identify, stung like hot water on his skin after being out in the cold for hours. Biting and scratching at him even as he struggled to put a patch on each one in successive order. He wouldn't allow Mello to mold him this way, make Near react in any way that was outside his normal behavior. It was weak, and Near didn't like the thought of being used…

"You never asked me why I stole the doll," Mello said suddenly, as if he'd come to some kind of conclusion in his head and now wanted to get it out into the open. Near looked down at the sheep in his hands, pursing his lips slightly and then looking at Mello curiously (he was still too close, it was making Near start to worry that he'd begin to shake). It was true though, he hadn't asked why Mello had stolen the soft, fluffy creature in his hands.

"So…why did you steal it?"

Mello smiled, leaning forward until their noses were within inches of touching one another, Near's heart speeding up no matter how much he attempted to slow it down (he'd been trained at the institution to use his mind to control most physical reactions). The smile that greeted him was many things at once: teasing, playful, nasty…and vaguely seductive. Or perhaps that was simply what Near was wishing it was, his eyes blinking in more rapid successions the longer the two of them were so close together. What was this odd feeling?

Whatever it was, he sincerely hoped it stopped before he made a fool of himself in front of the one person who would never allow him to forget it. More so he wished he could name it, put some kind of label on it so that he could classify it and lock it away like every other real emotion he'd ever had. But he couldn't, and he found himself suffocating inside himself every time he drew in a breath. It was as though Mello exuded some kind of strange pheromone that drove Near to distraction.

Had it always been this bad?

"I wanted to see you cry…perfect little Near…all locked away in his self-made prison," Mello answered, his eyes blinking slowly as he slightly pulled away. "At least at first. I'm not sure why I kept it though…perhaps I wanted to reach inside the bars…"

The blonde glanced to the side, his skin flushing the tiniest amount (though the only way Near even noticed was because he was so close), and then his gaze came back to rest on the younger boy's face. When their eyes met, Near was surprised to find Mello's expression so open that he felt as though he could read him like some kind of twisted novel. It was, for that split second, like he'd lifted up the stone of his own personality and found Mello on the other side, waiting for him. Like finding his exact opposite, darker and more intense, only it wasn't as frightening as it should have been.

"I bet I'd lose a limb if I reached through your bars," Mello whispered, his long-fingered hand coming up to touch at a lock of Near's hair, pushing it to the side and brushing along the skin beneath. The physical touch instantly made the younger man jump backward, nearly falling out of the booth and onto the floor. Mello's touches were a plethora of extremes, he remembered many a violent encounter back in their Wammy House days, but they were never soft, never like this.

"Why did you call me here?"

Near inwardly awarded himself a point, his voice having betrayed none of his inner turmoil at all. Instead was the straightforward appearance that he wanted to maintain, that calm seemingly the only way for Near to get the answers that he sought. Mello's gift, it wasn't the only reason he had called Near here, it couldn't be. Nothing on earth was that simplistic, especially between the two of them…especially with the hot-headed blonde that stared at him with an intensity that nearly made him shiver. There had to be more, and Near (like always) wasn't going to stop until he had answers, until he had solved the puzzle of the man who sat before him.

"Why all these damn questions?" Mello spat, eyes narrowing dangerously, glinting in the half-light that spilled into the booth, making his eyes seem even darker than they were before. He reached forward again, grabbing Near's chin in a harsh grip and bringing their faces close together, his body thrumming with anger and frustration. "Why can't you just sit here with me without playing fucking detective?!"

Though he struggled not to, Near felt himself squirm, trying to free his face from the grasp of the older man, not knowing how to handle the close proximity that they now kept. Mello's fingers burned his skin like they were made of hot embers, made his cheeks feel feverish, made his pulse speed up. This had to be bad…right? 98 of his mind was screaming for him to get away, to break free of Mello's hand and call Giovanni to pick him up and not look back. And yet…yet there was that remaining 2, the growing minority, that was telling him to stay, to wait, and possibly to act. But he wasn't good at acting on his impulses, and therein lay the problem.

"Mello," Near said, voice cold, his own hand coming up to cover Mello's wrist, fingernails digging into the flesh he found there. "You have to admit that this is slightly suspicious…how am I supposed to react? We've never been friends, so its only natural for me to assume that you must want something."

"It wasn't enough…"

Near cocked his head to the side, feeling his hair brushing against Mello's forehead, sending physical sparks through his skin, confusion finally winning out over his calm. What was Mello talking about? Snowy locks went in multiple direction as he shook his head, indicating that he didn't understand what the blonde was getting at. This response seemed to make him angry and the grip on his chin became nearly painful, painted nails digging sharply into his pale skin.

"It wasn't enough! Those few minutes weren't enough!" Mello nearly cried out, looking confused himself. "I don't know how to explain it! We won't get this opportunity again! Can't you just take it for what it is?"

"What?!" Near questioned further, still not understanding, but feeling Mello's other arm go around his back, resting roughly at the small of his back. It was a possessive touch, meant to keep him in place, not allowing him to escape the circle of Mello's arms. "Take what? I don't understand…"

"…Stupid brat!"

And there it was…the press of warm, slightly wet, lips against his own, unexpected and chaotic…and all-together breathtaking. In the moment that Near had felt as though he'd never understand what Mello was getting at was the moment Mello explained it best. Wordless. Intense. Mello. This, this pulse of heat, the way the blonde's lips were sliding teasingly along his own, told him more than any words might have. And yet he was shocked, unable to respond, unable to process whether he _should _respond. Did he even want to?

He found that he did.

When they broke only a few inches apart, Mello's breathing uneven, Near simply stared for a moment into eyes that obviously feared instant rejection. The blonde's breath fanned his face, smelled of chocolate, made it hard to think past the feel of his lips tingling vaguely. If he pushed Mello away now, if he jumped out of his seat and ran, he'd hate it…Near would hate it. What harm was there in this moment? Admittedly, he was unsure of what he was doing, his head was spinning slightly , but the longer he looked into that face, the more resolute he became.

_We won't get this opportunity again!_

"No…we won't…," Near whispered, licking at his bottom lip and taking a deep breath. He wasn't used to this sort of thing, but he was going to try. Every thought was screaming at him to proceed, to throw aside his inhibitions for just that moment and I _live_ . His hand left Mello's wrist and moved to the blonde's face, softly touching a warm cheek, brushing lower, down his neck, stopping at the collar of his shirt.

And with that he leaned forward, eyes closing, moving onto Mello's triumphantly smirking lips, into whatever the night had to offer.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Passing Circumstance [Part II

Rating: PG-13 [for now

Pairing: Mello and Near

Word Count: 5300

Disclaimer: Once again I don't own the characters and I make no claim to them and am making no money. I wish I was.

Author's Note: This took me a while, but I'm pleased with it. Originally it was supposed to be a one shot…damn plot bunnies. You guys were so awesome about reviewing this story! There are more Mello x Near fans than I originally thought!

In his studies at the Wammy's House, Near had been exposed to just about everything. From physics to modern popular culture, he'd been shown everything that could in any way be useful to understanding the criminal element, to becoming more in tune to the sort of ways that they thought and behaved. He could remember sitting quietly in Pop Culture class, flipping through the pages of a romance novel, wondering why on earth anyone would want to read such drivel. The descriptions were completely cheesy, overdone, overblown, completely gaudy, and all-together unbelievable.

Now, however, he couldn't seem to remember what he had thought was so tremendously awful about it.

Mello's hands skimmed along his sides, slowly, moving towards the belt that held his coat closed, making his mind ripple like a stone thrown into standing water. When those seeking hands finally found their target, gently pulling at the long pieces of fabric until his jacket fell open, he felt a shiver go up his spine, becoming more intense when those same hands skimmed up the front of his white shirt to graze along his belly. Their mouths were still connected, Mello's teeth tugging at his bottom lip from time to time, making what seemed like Near's entire world go into a spin. The kisses were becoming increasingly more aggressive, setting off little fireworks behind his eyelids that he couldn't remember closing.

Wait…weren't they still in the…

"Excuse me…," he heard from behind him, pulling away from Mello's lips with a small gasp for air. How long had they been kissing? "But if you're going to continue that, you'll need to find somewhere else to do so."

Near turned halfway around, consciously forcing back the blush that was creeping along his cheeks to stare at the barkeep looking down at them. The young man had the look of someone who was at once quite annoyed yet highly amused, his mouth twitching as he tried not to laugh at Near's not-so-obvious embarrassment. Mello, on the other hand, merely pulled him closer, burying his nose into Near's snowy hair as he glared at the man over the younger man's head. The look was flustered, lustful, displeased, and challenging…four words the perfectly described the blonde in every way. Near, struggling to regain his composure, could feel Mello's heart pounding against his chest, echoed by Near's own, slowing down with his anger.

"I don't recall paying for a chaperone," he practically hissed, hands moving around Near's waist, under the coat, to move halfway up his back. Somehow, though he wasn't sure of the means, he managed to keep himself calm, his eyes going to their normal state of dull disinterest. A late-winter snow on a early spring bloom. "But I can take my endeavors elsewhere…"

With that they were on their feet, though Near was slightly unwilling, watching as his hand slid into Mello's with an ease that was at once fulfilling and all-together disturbing. Near, in all his life, had never held the hand of another person. He'd had many offers (none of them being romantic, simply for comfort or to ease some childhood fear) but had always turned them down in favor of working things out on his own. If he bowed to comfort every time he was bothered than he would never learn to deal with it on his own. Of course, he'd never really meant to take it quite as far as he had, barely able to feel much of anything at all, emotions muted and dull in the face of nearly every stimuli.

It had been an unplanned (unfortunate?) side-effect of a necessary evil. After all these years he still wasn't sure if it was worth it.

"What are your intentions?" Near asked, stumbling slightly as he was pulled harshly down the hallway of the hotel towards a waiting elevator. "Where are we going?"

Mello stopped at the door to the elevator, pushing the up button in an agitated way, again and again when it didn't go fast enough for his tastes. "Come on, come on," he murmured, his hand clenching tighter around Near's, making the younger man repeat himself.

"What are we doing Mello?"

Mello turned, eyes seeming to take on a light of their own, as the door to the elevator finally opened and he pulled the both of them in, watching with a small smirk as they were enclosed in semi-privacy. Near swallowed, looking down at their joined hands, at his disheveled shirt and coat, then finally back up at Mello who had apparently been watching him look at himself. Though Near hadn't the foggiest clue what Mello could find so enthralling, he nevertheless found himself amused at the blonde's interest in him. He'd never had anyone find him interesting…other than Mello…not like this…

But hadn't it always been like that?

Near had been on the grey carpeted floor of the Wammy House, gently putting together a small plastic spaceship (it reminded him of something from Star Wars), his tiny bottle of glue held precisely at the right angle as he meticulously placed the small grey engine onto the wing of the craft. He'd been working on it all morning, his fingers moving almost on their own as his mind wandered elsewhere, though somehow managing to focus on both tasks at the same time.

A small smile graced his pale features as he placed it onto the little stand to dry, one hand moving up to his hair to twirl a lock between calm digits. Relaxed for the moment, he sat back, pulling one knee up to rest his chin upon, half-closing his eyes as a soft breeze blew in through the open window of the common room. It had rained the night before, a quiet storm with no lightning, bringing with it the cooler temperatures of mid-autumn. Near could often be found around the windows that time of year, looking out as though enjoying the scenery.

In all reality…he wasn't even sure he could enjoy the scenery, but he tried anyway.

It was during this moment, as his hair blew across his eyes, tickling his nose, that he felt a presence behind him. Perhaps the person had been there all along, perhaps they had just arrived, but Near felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up as he forced his breathing to remain even. There were very few people who found him so interesting as to sneakily steal glances at him or watch him from doorways…in fact…there was really only one person who fit that description at all.

"Mello," he said, closing his eyes completely. "It's rude to lurk in doorways. Can I help you with something?"

The air in the room shifted as the blonde came closer, Near concentrating on every sense, every base instinct. Moments passed until he felt someone crouch down in front of him, a subtle scent (Mello smelled good, though he'd never admit that) bringing a confident smile to his face. He had been exactly right when he guessed who had been standing there that whole time. Mello began leaning forward now, the scent Near observed earlier becoming stronger, almost drugging, slightly unnerving. It prompted him to open his eyes a millimeter at a time until finally he was staring into dark ones, a yellow eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"It's rude not to look at someone when you're speaking to them…shows a lack of confidence," Mello answered finally, sitting down with his legs crossed and cocking his head to the side. "Not that I care…"

Silence stretched between them for what seemed like a lifetime, Near's fingers moving to his hair as chocolate crunched between Mello's white teeth. Usually Near could have sat in the quiet for hours, not particularly caring one way or the other when or if it ever ended. But with Mello, it had always been different. Mello stood outside every usual rule set in stone, every cliché, was unpredictable for everyone…it was a strength as well as a weakness, as predictability could be a laudable trait. When it seemed (at least to Near) as though the silence would never end, Mello looked down, placed his bar of candy carefully on the floor, and reached down to lift up Near's half-assembled toy.

"It's not finished," he murmured, running his finger along the wing that Near had just been working on. "I had thought you would finish it."

Near's head cocked to the side, questioning, and he shook his head slightly.

"You were watching me this whole time?"

Mello looked embarrassed for a moment to have been caught at his spying, looking away quickly and then regained himself. Rolling his eyes, he brought the toy up to his face and looked at it again. "Yeah, what…you didn't notice me until now?"

"No," Near answered, leaning towards Mello's face. "Why were you watching me? Am I so interesting? Or are you so bored?"

Mello's mouth quirked upwards, a playful smirk. "Well, you are pretty boring. But no, I was just watching. Does that bother you?"

A moment went by as Near thought about that question. Under normal circumstances, yes, it might have bothered him (as much as he could really be bothered) that Mello was acting in this strangely voyeuristic way, but when he really thought about it…it didn't bother him that badly. In the end it was up to Mello what he chose to do with his time, and if that included staring around a corner at someone playing with toys than who was Near to stop him? Not to mention, with the realization that Mello was watching him came the added rush of that strange warm sensation that only came from his older rival.

He enjoyed it, though he'd never been certain quite why.

"No…you don't bother me," Near replied, taking the ship back and reaching down for his glue. Moving only his eyes, he looked at Mello then back at the toy. "Want to help?"

"Nothing bothers you," he said softly, moving his body around until he was on his back, looking upside down at Near with a vaguely annoyed gaze. The chocolate that had been retrieved from the floor, now almost gone, hung from his lips. Near watched curiously as it bounced as Mello spoke, hands rested against his stomach in a relaxed way. It was with no small amount of surprise that he found himself wishing he were Mello's hands right about then. "No…I'll just watch…"

Mello had always found him more interesting than he really thought he was…

Cool metal behind him, a warm leg pushing between his own, spreading his knees as he attempted to keep his balance. Near, always having been a little less than healthy, had never had much luck at keeping himself standing upright for very long. Now that he had Mello pushing him against the doors of the elevator, it was everything he could do to keep himself from falling over. As it stood, it was only Mello's own body that was keeping him from kissing the floor.

"We're going upstairs," Mello whispered, licking along Near's jaw line, leaving behind a warm, wet trail that he quickly blew on. The sensation made Near shiver, distracted him for a far-too-brief instant from the fact that Mello had just said they were going upstairs together. The purpose for being alone in a hotel room certainly didn't escape Near, he'd read enough, observed enough to know what was going on. Finally however, the words that had been swirling around his head actually hit home, and he blinked in surprise, moving his head to look down at Mello who was letting his tongue wander down to Near's adam's apple.

Wait…were they making out in an elevator?

"What? Wait…we can't…," but his words were cut off with Mello's lips, calmly claming his own again, owning them easily, fitting together like a key and its lock. It was a confident kiss, as though he knew what Near's reaction would be. Was Near so predictable? Truly it was one of his weaknesses, the obvious inability to be spontaneous, the fact that he lacked the willpower to change the problem. If he'd seen it as more of an issue he might have bothered, but he'd always persevered regardless of the personal lacking.

"We can't?" Mello purred, running his nose down inside the topof Near's shirt, biting along his collarbone since it was basically the only thing he could reach. "I think we are, you're just being stubborn…I wouldn't expect anything less of you."

It was then that the door to the elevator opened, spilling them out into the hallway, Near falling backwards onto his butt as Mello fell on top of him. It took a few seconds for the younger boy to realize what had happened, looking down at the blonde head that was lying in such a compromising position between his legs. He scooted away quickly, drawing his legs up as far as he could (he was never wearing pants this tight ever again) and staring widely at his childhood rival. There was nothing about this that wasn't frightening, embarrassing or confusing, leaving Near wishing that he could just stay on this uncomfortable, ugly floor for the rest of his known life.

Or at least until Mello wasn't in his general vicinity.

"What the hell?" Mello said, moving up onto his hands and knees before pushing himself onto his feet and brushing himself off. "This sort of thing could only happen to you and me." His face changed as he cocked his head to the side, eyes going wide for a moment as he watched Near on the floor. Near could only imagine how he must look, back pressed to the wall, almost shivering with fear though not quite. He had too much control over himself for that. "You look like a rabbit sitting there. Do I scare you so much?"

Near shook his head, willing his voice to come back to life if only for the moment, though it didn't seem to be happening (which he found rather distressing). Finding his current state humiliating, he stood up and put his hands behind his back, narrowing his gaze quietly as he looked over Mello's shoulder. The wallpaper was cracked in one corner of the hallway, the edges slightly faded. They should look into it considering this was supposed to be a five star hotel…

"Hello?"

Near had always kept people at a distance, both physically and mentally, preferring his own version of "personal space" to be a bit wider than most. In fact, he'd always assumed that his little self-made fortress was rather secure, rather perfect, rather impervious…he was vaguely disappointed to learn that Mello so easily broke down his defenses. The blonde was standing close, too close, dark eyes glittering again as he leaned into Near's face once more. Why did Mello insist on invading his space? Why did he find so much perverse pleasure in it?

"Please, step back," Near said, his voice returning, though not as strong as he might have liked. "I don't want you so close."

For a moment it seemed as though Mello might actually listen to him, which probably would have been the first time in their entire lives that he did as Near asked. Every other time they'd ever gotten into some kind of argument (which in actuality was Mello ranting at Near about something and him simply listening and nodding) it had always ended with Mello doing the exact opposite of what he wanted. Would this time somehow be the exception to the rule?

"No," he murmured, his tongue flicking out and brushing along Near's bottom lip, raising the hairs on the back of his neck. The shorter man stepped back, putting his hand out and touching Mello in the middle of his chest with his fingertips. The leather was warm against his touch, softer than it looked, almost as if it were part of Mello's body, molded and firm. Near's eyes moved down towards his own hand, eyes feeling heavy-lidded and hard to keep up.

He wondered vaguely if the leather smelled of Mello, if it would be soft against his own skin. He also wondered when he had apparently lost his mind.

"You never listen."

Near's voice was quiet, more so than he had actually wanted. He would have preferred his words to be commanding, powerful, able to push back the impending storm that was Mello's actions and desires. However, like any other time, it wasn't. It was the reason that he'd been picked on so adamantly back at the Wammy House, the reason that he had such trouble asserting himself. He simply didn't have a commanding enough presence.

Sometimes, when he had a spare moment from thinking about the Kira case, he would wonder why the remaining members of the SPK listened to him at all. In the end, he concluded, it was simply that he was the supposed successor of L that forced them into a subordinate role. It wasn't any sort of leading capabilities (he'd never had any) or his stunning intellect, but the fact that he was taking L's place. They were still following L (the real one) not really him…not really…

The conclusion had been disheartening…

Mello smirked, rolling his eyes for a moment before covering Near's hand with his own, linking their fingers and pulling Near closer with a forceful tug. "I listen when it's something I actually want to do. I'm not going to do something that's the exact opposite of what I want."

"I guess its too much to expect you to respect my wishes," Near said, his voice bordering on irritation.

"Near," the response was warm, confident, purring. "That's only what you say. I know what you want."

It was only then that Near's eyes narrowed, frustration going off like a firecracker in his chest as he pulled his hand out of Mello's grasp. It was too much. No matter how much Mello might have been right, no matter how much Near was lying about his desires, he didn't need to hear it out of someone else's mouth before he even admitted it to himself. It was too much. Ridiculous. Insulting. Slightly exciting, someone able to read him so completely, but that wasn't enough to push away the indignation.

"I'll thank you to leave me alone," he said, his voice ice-cold as he made a wide circle around the blonde and went quickly back towards the elevator. His lips were still tingling, his heart still racing, but he thrust it all away from him in favor of getting away. Of hiding. The hallway was hot around him, he could feel a drop of sweat pooling on his temple, moisture on his fingers, as he reached the gleaming silver doors, pushing the 'down' button with more force than he probably needed to. He wasn't going to look at Mello anymore. Maybe if he didn't see his face, didn't see the pained rejection, the frustrated lust, the emotions he couldn't place and didn't want to, he wouldn't be tempted to change his mind.

He had a case to solve, and it had been a mistake to let his mind wander even for a moment.

"I'm sorry Near," he heard from behind him, closing his eyes and forcing himself to stay still. He wouldn't allow himself to turn and look…looking would break his resolve. "I didn't really want to do it this way, but you're not leaving me any choice."

Before Near knew what was happening, he felt the air around him shift, Mello's body moving towards him with a speed that could only be meant to surprise. The blow to the back of his head (what did Mello have that was that heavy?) came soon afterwards, knocking him off-balance, the entire world spinning and going out of focus all at once. He could barely feel anything other than the soft rush of wind that moved around his body as he fell backwards, into Mello's waiting arms, his eyes beginning to close.

"You're going to have one hell of a headache when you wake up…," he vaguely heard Mello say, looking up into his apologetic, beautiful face as the world began to go dark. He thought the older boy was speaking again, but all he saw was lips moving, didn't hear any sound. Near's last thought before completely passing out was that Mello had better take him out the back door so people wouldn't stare and gawk at them too badly.

He probably should have wondered where the hell he was going…

His fingers curling around something soft, clutching it tightly to his body, was the first thing he felt upon his waking. Though perhaps "waking" might have been too optimistic. Right now all he knew was that his head was throbbing, his body was awake, and that he was struggling for every coherent thought he could muster. When he tried to open his eyes he winced, the false light proving to be too much for the headache that was threatening to force him back into unconsciousness.

"Where am I?" his voice was quiet, though almost too loud to himself. "Mello? Where are we?"

Near realized that he probably should have been furious right about now, seething at the idea that Mello had the nerve to, basically, kidnap him. Somehow, however, he couldn't work up the energy to be to do so. He should have known better anyway, knowing how Mello was. Mello was like a force of nature, and you either learnt to deal with his unique brand of idiosyncrasies or you slowly tore out your own hair.

Near had always had the suspicion that he'd look awful bald. Better to just put up with it than waste his energy being angry.

With that thought in mind, he forced his eyes open, blinking into the lamplight next to the bed that he was apparently lying on. Near didn't attempt to sit up, feeling a lingering dizziness in his head that he was certain would turn to nausea if he tried to move too much. Instead he looked around from where he was, moving only his eyes, trying to figure out where exactly he'd been taken to.

The room appeared to be somewhere at the top of a building, windows all around, views of the city blinking gently in and out. Near could only guess that the building was abandoned and that Mello had taken up residence here, though he wasn't sure why. Somehow the blonde had managed to get the electricity working, a bit of furniture here and there, a few mechanical necessities. He could see a few computers glaring on a distant table shedding their light on the grey carpeted floor. It was somewhat shabby, yet vaguely classy…just like Mello.

"Mello?" he called again, this time a bit louder, finally realizing that he wasn't alone in the room. He almost smiled when his eyes settled on his lifelong rival, closer than he had been expecting, yet not as close as he could have been. Mello was bent over, resting his head and arms upon the bed, his blonde hair sprawled wildly across the sheets as his breathing worked its way evenly in and out. He'd been sitting by the bed in an overstuffed armchair, apparently for a while, and had eventually just fallen asleep. Near almost reached out, almost touched the golden strands, but thought better of it, curling his arms back where they had originally been.

Better to let the volatile male sleep while Near got his bearings than to wake him and face the hurricane. It would happen soon enough anyway.

Realizing that his head didn't feel quite so fuzzy anymore (the urge to throw up had passed), he slowly sat up, reaching to the back of his skull and feeling around. Near winced when his fingers discovered a small bump, sore and tender to the touch, wondering once again what Mello had smacked him with that could have caused such a pain. His eyes shot down to the older boy again, narrowing for a brief second before he began to move quietly off the bed.

The sheets were pitch black, soft, and made a very interesting swishing sound when he slid onto the floor, his feet finding purchase upon the surprisingly soft gray carpet under his toes. Near's eyebrow raised then, looking down at his bare feet as frustrated confusion racked his admittedly cloudy mind. Mello had hit him, knocked him unconscious, dragged him (God only knew how ridiculous Mello must have looked carrying Near around) to this apartment of sorts…and yet had the consideration to remove Near's shoes and socks for him to be more comfortable?

Near pushed his index finger into the bridge of his nose and sighed silently, wishing he could understand Mello and knowing he probably never would.

"Going somewhere?" Near heard, turning quickly to the sound of the deep voice purring behind him. However the movement was too quick, and the world swam around him, making him nauseous again as he sunk to the floor. He let his forehead touch the carpet, concentrating on nothing but breathing slowly in and out, willing the sick feeling to go away, all the while feeling Mello rise from his seat and crouch in front of him.

It reminded him of old times…except he wished he had something to occupy his hands. He would have felt better, and he would have been able to think more clearly.

"You shouldn't have gotten out of bed," Mello said quietly, his arms reaching down to encircle Near and lift him up easily. Near, for his part, attempted to protest, opening his mouth only to have it closed by a pink tongue gliding across his bottom lip. The sensual act was enough to ensure his silence for at least a few moments while he attempted to process the sensation.

"Look," Mello whispered, though Near wasn't sure why. It was just the two of them in this room. "I'm sorry about…that. I wasn't really thinking."

Near was gently deposited on the mattress, Mello crawling onto the sheets after him, rolling onto his side so that they could look at each other. Earlier in the evening this is exactly how Near might have imaged they'd end up, looking at each other in bed…however the abduction and intense pain took away somewhat from the romance of it all. He supposed that since this was the two of them he should have known it couldn't end peacefully.

Still…one could always hold out hope.

"Obviously not," Near replied, moving only his eyes to glance at his one-time rival. Now that he had been awake for a few minutes, his head was beginning to pound, making it hard to focus on his thoughts, which in turn made him more nervous. His mind was pooling down into sensations, the scent of Mello's breath (was he so close?), the way the sheets felt under his fingers that dug into them, the soft blue of Mello's eyes, the slightly crazy glint in them when you looked hard enough. "What did you hit me with?"

Mello had the decency to look embarrassed again, a small flush coming up over his cheeks as he rolled his eyes. "Oh…the lamp from the table down the hall."

"The lamp…," Near trailed off, rolling onto his side to look at Mello. The movement took more effort than it should have, and he suffered for it, closing his eyes against the throbbing pain in his head. "Couldn't you have just talked me into staying?"

"Near," Mello raised a golden eyebrow, licking his lips slowly. "Since when does anyone talk you into anything? It was a spur of the moment decision and that was the heaviest object around."

"It hurt," Near thought out loud, pursing his lips in annoyance, almost a pout. Mello responded in kind, jutting out his bottom lip in a similar fashion and running his index finger down his own cheek. "That's not funny Mello…I could have a concussion."

Mello waved it off with an airy movement of his hand, obviously not too concerned about what could be a serious condition. Then again, Mello wasn't an idiot, and he certainly would know whether or not Near was in any sort of real danger. They'd been taught just about everything as children, from detective work to medical issues (one could argue they'd been taught emotional issues as well), so it really wasn't surprising that Mello didn't seem worried.

"Quit bitching," Mello murmured. "It doesn't suit you."

With that Mello reached out both his hands, Near flinching back slightly before he found his head securely in the blonde's grasp. Deft fingers massaged at his temples, and though that wasn't exactly where the pain in his head was, it made him feel better anyway. There was something about Mello's touch that was…pleasant. Pleasant enough to make Near feel at ease even though he usually didn't allow others to touch him. Perhaps he did have a concussion…

"Mello," Near murmured, though it felt like his mouth was moving more slowly than he was thinking. "Why?"

The question was simple, but Mello seemed to understand what he meant, his hands slowing on Near's skin until they were completely still. This wasn't about the lamp or the sheep or any other such nonsense. This was a much more universal 'why'. And Near desperately needed an answer, needed it because he was completely ignorant to these sorts of emotional issues, because he was nervous and scared. Mostly he needed it because Mello was getting close again, his hands still on Near's head, fingers working their way into his soft hair. With that closeness came that fuzzy feeling once again, the Earth rolling around him…and this time Near didn't think it was the lamp.

"Don't you ever think about me?" Mello whispered. Near's vision was full of glittering blue as he struggled to control his breathing, his own eyes giving away nothing to his counterpart. He was calm, at least for now. "Don't you ever wonder why we're drawn together like this? Don't you want to see where this goes? Aren't you curious?"

Near would have answered, his lips were forming the words even as Mello began to lean forward…but he didn't have the chance.

The world, which had previously been only metaphorically moving, sincerely began to shake and bounce beneath them. Near's eyes widened as Mello pulled back with a gasp, sitting up as the bed shook beneath them. Each shudder of the ground made the electricity blink in and out, the sounds of concrete groaning and cracking around them making Near curl up against himself in instant fear. Mello's arms came out then, curling around Near's upper body and covering him up even as a few pieces of ceiling came pouring down onto the floor, littering the bed with plaster and dust.

Finally the world began to calm down, the electricity flickering once more then going out completely, even the lights of the street and city going out all at once. Suddenly they were plunged into inky darkness, Mello's arms still around him, the blonde's chest rising quickly up and down as he held Near tightly to his body. For a moment, though Near knew he shouldn't have, he allowed himself to feel…safe. The warmth was there, the possessiveness, the smell of leather and sugar. There was no logic to the feeling, simply the raw sensation, the warm feeling of pleasure surging through his chest.

If he'd been anyone else, he might have given into it…but he was Near…and he couldn't allow it to overwhelm him.

Mello was the first to break the silence.

"Well…," he said, his deep voice a little shaky, yet there was an obvious tone of humor in his words. "Did the earth move for you?"

"Shut up Mello…"

To be continued…

Cherry


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Passing Circumstance

Disclaimer: Yeeeah...I don't own them. Poor boys would be permanently scarred if I did.

Author's Notes: So many favs for this little story...i'm touched. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, even if you don't get the lemon here. It's coming soon I PROMISE. However, this chapter is mostly action oriented, along with some romantic moments. Hope you enjoy!

**_Passing Circumstance: Chapter Three_**

The storm had raged for hours, incredible flashes of light that made Near blink against the intensity and bury his face into his pillow. It had been raining like this every night for a solid week, the snowy-haired boy finding practically no rest and having an increasingly hard time paying attention during his daily classes. How L managed to concentrate on nothing but coffee and a cat nap was beyond him. Near needed four hours sleep in a day and a half period, at the very least, to function at one hundred percent. These constant interruptions were tiring at best and frustrating at worst. He was too light a sleeper for this.

Another burst of lightning and he was sitting bolt upright in bed, anxiously letting his eyes dart around the room that he and Mello shared. Near's dark eyes fell upon the blonde's bed, hoping to find the other boy sleeping there, only to discover that the sheets were bereft of his presence. Cocking his head to the side, Near's fingers instantly found his hair and twirled it slowly, biting at his bottom lip uneasily. It was a habit that he engaged in only when other's weren't around, feeling that he made him look weaker than he already did.

He barely walked most of the time, better not to allow others to think he was even more impaired.

"Mello?" he called softly, expecting to hear the answering response, only to be greeted with silence. "Mello, where are you?"

Thunder shook the house, prompting him to rise slowly, the floor cold beneath his toes as he went to the window to look out. Glancing down at the entrance to the Wammy's House, he could barely make out the shadow of a young man, his hair slicked back with water as he walked into the courtyard, away from the house. Near concluded that it could only be Mello, curious as to what he could possibly be doing out in the middle of a storm with nothing on but his pajamas. The older boy hadn't even thought to grab an umbrella before he walked outside…such a masochist.

It seemed like poor decision making, even as Near himself pulled on his white rain boots along with his black slicker and grabbed the first umbrella and flashlight that he saw. If Mello wanted to go out and catch pneumonia than it really wasn't any of Near's concern…but something was compelling him to act. A force beyond himself was moving his feet out the front door and into the rain, even as his mind warned him that it probably wasn't the smartest thing to do. Curfew had long since passed, it was raining, and Mello probably didn't even want him there…

And yet he was moving anyway…

He'd seen Mello move east, away from the grounds, out into the forest that lined the property. Near moved to follow his roommate, his flashlight's beam bobbing as he walked in that direction, hair blown backwards with an exceptionally hard gust of wind. The water was even colder than it had appeared from his room, sliding down the black plastic of his umbrella to pool at his feet, now muddy and filthy. Truly, Near had to have lost his mind…Mello couldn't have been worth this bother. As the forest closed in around him, the light from his small flashlight seemed to be partially swallowed, Near's heart speeding up unreasonably at the notion of what kinds of strange things could be waiting for him out in the woods.

Of course, the strangest thing in the entire forest was probably the person he was seeking. Near's imagination was just getting away with him, making him fearful of things that weren't really there.

So lost in his own thoughts, walking rather blindly in whatever direction his feet happened to be moving at the moment, that he didn't notice a small hill approaching in front of him. Not until he was slipping, umbrella flying from his grasp, and falling down the hill, did he actually realize what was going on exactly. Though once he came to a grinding halt, absolutely covered with mud, a sticky leaf plastered to his forehead…he kind of had a better idea of his present situation.

Vile…he _hated_ being dirty.

"Near!?" he heard from above him, squinting upwards in the dark, once again seeing the outline of Mello's body in a random flash of light. "Near, what are you doing?"

Before he could reply, Mello was sliding down the hill, coming to a stop next to him and bending over. Long-fingered hands reached out to yank Near onto his feet, pulling the leaf off his forehead with a disgusted expression that Near could see even through the dark. He must have looked awful, he didn't blame Mello for acting repulsed. Every limb was sticky with mud, water dripping off his hair, his body beginning to shiver with cold, breathing hard.

"What the fuck Near," Mello breathed out, pushing wet hair out of his face. "Why are you out here in the rain?"

"I," Near said, his teeth chattering a few times, licking his lips, tasting rainwater when he did. "I saw you come out here…I followed you…"

"Why?!" Mello yelled over the sound of loud thunder, leaning down towards Near's face. "Did it ever occur to you that I might have wanted to be alone?"

"Y-yes," Near responded truthfully. "But I came out here a-anyway…are y-you all right?"

Mello seemed taken aback by the question, blinking a few times in the dark as he cocked his head to the side. Near took a step backward, sliding in the mud only to be caught by the other boy's hands once more, pulled closer to him so that they were within inches of each other. Mello's hands were on his shoulders, looking down so that their eyes met, fingers digging into Near's wet pajamas…and Near felt…odd.

Everything was out of focus.

"Why are you asking? It's not like you care."

The odd feeling in his stomach got worse, making him look down at the ground, away from Mello's eyes, when the older boy spoke. Near had never been especially good at analyzing his own emotions, and so he was unable to answer Mello's question. Though if he'd tried, he probably would have denied Mello's claim…he cared…though he wasn't sure how or why. Only that he wouldn't have followed him out here if not for that reason, satiating his curiosity and his concern.

Another roar of thunder and Near was jumping again, small hands reaching forward without his say-so to clutch at the front of Mello's shirt. His fingers dug into the wet fabric, heart pounding, and he felt all-together silly. He shouldn't have been letting this sort of thing get to him, should have been in more control…he'd have to work on it. He wouldn't allow the weakness to persist.

"Come on Near, let's go inside, you're shivering," Mello murmured, putting his hand on the small of Near's back and gently pushing him forward. When they'd gotten up the hill, walking slowly through the forest, Mello stopped. Near turned his head to look back at the blonde, pointing towards the house with its porch lights shining gently in the distance.

"I guess I'm always going to be taking care of your ass even if I don't want to, huh?" Mello murmured, shaking his head. Near couldn't help but wonder if his rival's expression was amused or annoyed…perhaps a combination of the two. Either way, his voice was resolute, the decision made, even if Mello was displeased about it.

And even years in the future, nothing ever seemed to change…

"No one is forcing you to take care of me Mello," Near said, pushing his shoulder against the door to the emergency stairs, grunting with the effort even as Mello did the same. They'd been trying each door one at a time for what seemed like an hour, all of them giving the same result. When the earthquake had happened, the electricity going out all at once, the locks of the doors had become inoperable…they were trapped rather effectively up here on the top floor…together…alone…in the dark.

Could things get any more cliché?

"Well you're not coming up with any bright ideas to get us out of here, so it's sort of my responsibility now," Mello replied, giving one last hard shove to the metal door before kicking it swiftly and turning around. "Unless you've come up with some grand scheme in the last five minutes that you've been unwilling to share?"

"No," Near answered, slightly petulant. "Don't you have some kind of axe? What kind of mafia leader doesn't have a sharp object on hand?"

Mello turned to Near then, bottom lip coming out sulkily, crossing his arms over his soft brown vest with a sullen expression. Without saying anything, he grabbed Near's hand again, dragging him back into the apartment (apparently it _was_ an abandoned apartment complex) and shutting the door behind them both. After that he pulled out the flashlight that they'd found after much blind groping in the dark and turned it on, moving it around the room jerkily.

"I have guns, Near," Mello said in an exacerbated way, putting the light in Near's eyes for a brief second, making him cover his eyes at the sudden brightness. "I didn't really think I'd be needing things like axes and saws…forgive my oversight."

Sitting down on the floor with a sigh, Near pulled one leg up to his chest and rested his chin on it, trying to think of something they could do to get out of this situation. When nothing was forthcoming he scooted downward until he lay on his side, burying his face into his bicep and pretending that this wasn't as awful as he thought it was. A few moments later he felt Mello lay down next to him, his warm body sprawled next to Near's own.

Minutes went by as they lay quietly, the sounds of their breathing the only noise in the dark apartment, until finally Near spoke.

"What about the elevator? Couldn't we pry those doors open with something?"

Once more the light was in Near's eyes, only this time much closer as Mello was right next to him. "Mello, stop shining that in my eyes please," he murmured, looking away and covering his face again. Near's temper was almost non-existent, but even he had his limits…and as usual Mello was happily pushing past them without any real regard for his stability or emotions.

Perhaps Mello didn't think Near _had_ any emotions…

"Come on Near, help me find a screwdriver," Mello said quickly, pulling Near to his feet and moving the light around the room. It only took a few minutes for them to find what they were looking for, moving out the door towards the elevator shaft. At first Near wasn't quite sure how this was going to work out. His intelligence was more based on fact and planning than actual action, and he wasn't that great with thinking on the fly. That was Mello's department.

"Hold this," Mello handed off the flashlight to Near who held it pointed to the elevator doors, glancing around the two of them. Without a word the blonde pulled back, slamming the screwdriver as hard as he could between the metal doors, the sound of metal scraping against metal ringing through the empty hallway and making Near's skin crawl. He hated loud noises, unexpected sounds…it was the reason he preferred to sit in the quiet by himself. It was bad for concentration to be startled all the time.

"Nnngg," Mello's arms were straining, his eyes closed tightly; Near could see it even in the dark. The older boy was struggling to pry the doors open even while the screwdriver began to bend slightly against the effort, making Near wonder how long it could hold out. And so he came forward, putting the flashlight into his mouth as he placed his hands on Mello's own, pulling with everything he had (which wasn't all that much, but still) to force the doors to give way. If he'd been paying a little more attention, he might have seen the surprised expression on the blonde's face, the way his eyes went soft for a moment before becoming serious again. But as usual, Near was focused on one thing, barely able to notice anything else going on around him.

The doors slowly began to open, inches revealing themselves one at a time as a small stream of red light poured out into the hall. When the power went out the emergency lights in the elevator shaft must have turned on, not all that much light, but enough to see in. Finally they got enough room to put their hands in, the screwdriver thrown to the side (it was ruined at this point, nearly bent in half) while the two of them pried the metal open until they could easily see down the shaft. Thankfully there was more than enough space to climb in and get down the ladder.

"You want us to," Near began softly, blinking down the shaft in an incredulous way, pointing down slowly. "…climb down to the first floor?"

"How else will we get there?" the other boy replied, his voice annoyed as he turned around and put his feet onto the top rung of the ladder. Near's fears rose as he watched Mello take a deep breath, his face slightly shadowed by the red lights that made his hair look like it was covered in blood, made his skin shine in the semi-dark shaft. He looked up at Near, their eyes meeting, and gave him a small, reassuring smile. "Don't worry, it's not THAT far to the first floor…"

Near's foot was shaking ever so slightly as he placed it on the cool metal of the ladder, swallowing hard as his heart jumped into his throat. If he didn't look down, didn't look into what seemed like the bottomless pit of this metal hole, he would be fine. Those were the same words he kept repeating to himself as he began to lower himself down, hearing Mello move down the ladder beneath him. He would have preferred to be able to see Mello, but he had a feeling that the blonde wanted to be able to catch him in case Near should fall...which was entirely possible considering how hard his hands were shaking as they gripped the solid metal.

"It's okay Near," he heard below him, a warm hand coming up to wrap around his ankle, startling him slightly though not enough to make him fall. "Come on...everything is going to be all right." Mello's thumb moved in slow, rhythmic circles around the bone of his foot, prompting him to look down at the older boy's face.

Mello was smiling softly (had he _ever_ looked at Near like that before?), the lights of the shaft reflecting in his eyes, making them seem to glow demonic red. The look in them made Near's breath catch, made his pulse speed up (more than it already was), made every hair on his body stand on edge. And yet, his face remained neutral, trying as hard as he could not to be affected by Mello's gaze. Silently Near wondered whether or not his eyes gave him away, his barely contained desire and apprehension leaking out without his consent, but didn't have time to worry about that...they needed to get down this elevator shaft before anything else happened. Near had his doubts that he'd be able to make it down all the way anyway, kept imagining himself clinging helplessly to Mello's back as the poor boy moved them both down the ladder.

That would be **so** humiliating.

"Move Near," Mello demanded, his voice firm, and removed his touch from Near's ankle. "Don't look down, don't think for once, just move."

After the first few rungs things seemed to get a little easier, his body finding a rhythm as he moved it in succession. One foot, one hand, other foot, other hand, one after the other until finally he felt a little less ill at ease and a bit more confident. He'd even gone so far as to glance down the shaft, finding it not quite as scary as it had been before, proud of himself and the small accomplishment. Maybe it was necessity forcing him to adapt to new challenges, or maybe it was the company of the only person who had ever convinced him to change. Either way it was pleasing.

"This isn't so bad," he said, his voice slightly cheerful as he continued down the ladder. He'd been about to say something else when the world once more began to violently shift around him, the ladder swaying a bit under his fingers, his eyes flying wide as everything seemed to shake around him. Aftershock. In his rush and need to get off the top floor he'd neglected to remember that this might happen again, pretty much throwing himself into danger's path. Perhaps they should have thought this out a little more carefully…

The world shook once more, harder than the other tremors, and Near felt his grip slip. Suddenly everything was moving in slow motion, his voice dying in his throat as he failed to regain his hold on the ladder and began to fall backwards. Would Mello catch him, or would the older boy simply allow him to die, becoming no more than a messy smear on the ground below? He probably should have known the answer to the question, but he was too afraid at the moment, his brain not processing any thought but the seeming inevitability of death. He was going to die, _going to die_, going to **die**…going to…

…be caught by Mello at the last second…

"Near!" Mello cried, one hand reaching out to grab the front of Near's shirt and holding on, the other hand still gripping the ladder with a shaking arm. "Come…on Near." Even Mello's voice was shaking, prompting Near to look at him with a dazed expression. He'd never heard Mello sound like that before. "QUICK!"

"Yes!" he said, startled from his reverie before reaching forward as quickly as he could towards the ladder and getting his footing back. Near had only a second to catch his breath, shaking fingers holding onto the rungs for dear life as Mello released the grip on his shirt. Near couldn't help but notice that the blonde was breathing quickly, his eyes were closed, and he looked a little more than annoyed. Had he made Mello angry? Quickly Near discarded the idea, knowing Mello well enough to understand that if he were truly upset he would say something right away. He wasn't the sort to hold his feelings in really…

"Are you all right?" Near asked softly, his voice low, vaguely intimate.

Deciding not to wait for the answer, Near continued down, going back to the pattern his body had found earlier until they were standing on top of the elevator at the bottom of the shaft. It didn't take long for Mello to open up the emergency hatch, dropping down and looking around slowly before glancing back up at Near who was still peering down into the elevator with a slightly lost expression. He didn't like situations like this, ones that were so chaotic and out of the ordinary. It threw all his careful planning to the four winds, not that he could have planned for anything like this anyway.

"Here," Mello said softly, holding his arms up for Near to move into. Once again Near felt vaguely feminine, sighing softly as his face took on a small pout. He didn't like playing the damsel in distress, found the whole idea of him needing someone to save him vaguely insulting and overwhelmingly embarrassing. Then again…he _did_ need Mello to protect him right now…didn't he? It wasn't as though he would have been able to do all this on his own. Mello had been a guiding force in this whole thing.

Of course, him having kidnapped Near was the whole reason they were in this mess to begin with, but that was besides the point now.

Near slid down into Mello's arms smoothly, his feet touching solid ground, making him feel better almost instantly. It must have been a human instinct to prefer to be on the ground, rather than up in the air. All Near knew was that he was glad to not be in that damn elevator shaft, and that being encircled in Mello's arms was…soothing. It was comforting to feel the warmth of another person pressed against him, even though the idea that it was soothing caused him to be slightly alarmed. He didn't like people in his personal space…not at all…why was Mello the exception?

"I'm fine." Mello whispered, blinking down at Near a few times in the dim emergency lights. "You almost wound up pancake style there, didn't you?"

"Yes," Near answered, equally as softly, his arms hanging uselessly at his sides, his hands feeling tingly. It was almost as though the appendages had fallen asleep, only it was more pleasant and less painful, something Near didn't mind rather than wished to go away. "Thank you."

Instead of answering, Mello took his hand and led him out the half-open door of the elevator. Apparently this one had been in the process of closing when the power went out, so at least they didn't have to pry it open too. The lobby of the apartment complex was deadly quiet, unlived in, and oddly clean for no one being in it. Near wondered when it had been abandoned, as it didn't look particularly old, nor did it look particularly worn down. Perhaps some kind of violation had caused the building to be closed, or perhaps the owner had gone bankrupt, or perhaps…

"Near," he heard beside him, pulling him from his thoughts and back into the real world. "I don't know how likely its going to be for us to get through to the SPK."

"Do you not have a vehicle to get us back?"

"Near, there was just a massive earthquake," Mello said, rolling his eyes. "How likely is it that the bridges are still stable and the streets are still maneuverable? You're a smart kid, try to keep up with the program here."

The streets were cold as they pushed open the doors to the building, Near's hair rushing back from his face, making him gasp into the chill. Every streetlamp was dark, the lights of the city gone save for a few blinking planes up in the sky and the moonlight that streamed down into the empty alleyways and avenues. Near had been in New York for quite a while, and he'd never heard it be quite so…tranquil. The only sounds were the distant sounds of honking horns and a few yelling people. Odd…everything had come to a standstill in less than a minute.

It was…unnerving…

Without warning, a loud crash could be heard down the street, Near's attention being drawn by a group of young men running at full speed out of a nearby store. From this distance he couldn't tell what they were carrying, but it didn't take a genius to realize that the objects obviously did not belong to them. He stepped backward unconsciously, towards Mello who was pushing some coins into a payphone, cussing when the phone call didn't go through. Though Near hated to show such weakness, he soon found himself mere inches from his rival, small fingers wrapping around the hem of Mello's shirt.

"Near?" Mello said, turning his head and hanging up the phone. "What's wrong?"

Near found he didn't have to respond to the query as another noisy racket resounded through the empty street, Mello's eyebrows raising for an instant before glancing over at the snowy-haired boy who was looking around with a vaguely worried expression. Without a word the blonde was making them move back towards the apartment building, pushing the door open and looking around as if he had something in mind. Eventually Mello found what he was looking for, pushing a large, heavy-looking, table in front of the main entrance and nodding in a satisfied way.

"No way are we going back out there with looting and shit going on," he said, turning back to Near and joining their hands again. "We'll go out in the morning if we can, in the meantime we're just going to have to hang out."

Upon hearing this, Near felt his heart speed up just slightly. The thought of facing the thieves and vandals in the dead of night, with no electricity and no hope of rescue, sounded infinitely safer than spending the night alone with Mello. Maybe it was because Near was fully aware of how very, very susceptible he was to the older boy's charms…if charms was the word Near really wanted to use. If anything it was more like magnetism, two sides of the spectrum drawn together without their permission and without any real hope of breaking apart. It made a few miscreants seem like a walk in the park in comparison.

At least (much to Near's relief) they weren't going to be using the elevator shaft to go back up to Mello's room, instead finding an open door to the stairs and moving upwards that way. As unused to physical exertion as Near was, he soon found himself tiring as they trekked their way up the flights and flights of stairs, breathing out a sigh of relief when they pushed open the door to the top floor. Mello shoved a picture frame into the door to make certain it didn't relock itself and they slowly made their way back where they'd begun this nonsense.

"Maybe we should just sleep," Near said softly once the door was closed behind them, hearing Mello move around the room, opening drawers and pulling things out. Before long the room was aglow with soft candlelight, the blonde turning off the flashlight as he brushed crumbs off the bed and sat himself down. Mello didn't speak, simply watched Near who stood frozen in the middle of the room, uncertain for once of how to proceed in a situation, his face bored and blank as usual. All he knew was that he was out of his comfort zone, and that there seemed to be no way to get back in.

Near had always been of the opinion that if Mello were ever turned into an animal, he would certainly be a cat. The way his body moved, all muscles and graceful movements, was so much unlike Near's own that they could be nothing if not inherently feline. If only the blonde could purr, than the illusion would truly be complete. Those characteristics were what he displayed now as he rolled onto his back and looked at Near upside down, his legs bent at the knees, hands gently gripping the sheets below him, grinning mischievously. Briefly Near wished that there was more light, because when Mello's hair had fallen back it had finally fully exposed the scar that fascinated Near so. He'd always wanted to see it…the extent of the damage.

"Are you tired?" Mello asked, cocking an eyebrow towards Near. Instantly the younger man knew he'd made a mistake. Near was often known for staying up for incredibly long hours, not bothering to go to sleep until he absolutely needed to. It wasn't quite to the extent that L had once done, but he still didn't sleep in a normal schedule. The fact that he was mentioning sleep now was obviously to cover up his discomfort, and it was even more obvious that Mello knew it.

Busted.

Sighing softly, Near's hand found his hair. "No, there just isn't a whole lot to do…"

"Of course there is," Mello said, turning back onto his stomach and leaning his head on the mattress, blinking blue eyes of lapis lazuli at Near with an innocent expression. "You're just avoiding the palpable. But if it makes you feel better, we can just play a game for a while. How's that sound?"

Near perked up slightly at the mention of playing a game, which sounded infinitely safer than any of the other things that they _could_ be doing which were floating through his mind. Swiftly examining the room around him, he shrugged his shoulders and wondered what they could possibly do that would constitute a game. Mello's apartment (as it were) didn't have very much in it, and Near didn't think that the blonde had anything hidden away in a box somewhere. What were they supposed to play without toys?

The question was answered when Mello got up off the bed, looking around underneath it until he pulled out an old box, blowing the dust off the top before lifting the lid. He then sat down on the floor and crossed his legs, motioning for his companion to come over before smiling at Near's instantly delighted (as delighted as he ever got) expression. Chess. There was a chess board inside that old box, an obviously antique set, the pieces perfectly carved of black and white marble so that they were heavy in his hand when Near reached down into the box to examine them. The board itself was made of glass, thick enough not to break easily but thin enough that you could easily see through it.

"Where did you get this?" he asked, situating himself on the floor across from Mello and watching as the blonde set the pieces up one by one. "I remember this board from when we were children."

Mello had the decency to look slightly embarrassed as he finished putting up his side (black pieces for him, of course), laughing softly. "Yeah, I stole this when I left. I liked it!"

"Kleptomaniac."

"Oh like you've never stolen anything?" Mello quipped, then shook his head. "Come to think of it, you probably haven't…you've never had to worry about it."

Near's face fell somewhat before he moved his eyes to the board, pushing his index finger down onto the queen piece and moving it around a little. He felt a little better with his hands occupied, not quite so jumpy in the face of a situation he couldn't get out of. Mello sat silently across from him, his face a mask of thought until he leaned forward a little and put his finger onto one of Near's pawns.

"Tell you what," he began, his finger knocking the pawn over before raising it back up. "Let's make this more fun. For each piece we take, we also take one truth. Sort of like truth or dare…only without the dares…and with chess pieces." Mello sat back, putting his finger to his lips before narrowing his gaze and pointing at Near in a slightly accusing way. "And no lying Near..."

Near sat quietly, unmoved by the suggestion outwardly but secretly his heart spiraling out of control in his chest. Truths? Did that mean he was supposed to tell Mello whatever he wanted to know? That seemed like a bad idea, an easy way for his rival to gain information to destroy him with. And yet, Near was curious. Truths about Mello were hard to come by, as the blonde was secretive, keeping his personal business extremely private. Though he may have been a hothead and headstrong, he didn't always let others know _why_ he was so motivated.

And to be honest…Near was intrigued.

"Then you must be honest as well Mello," Near said finally, a small smile gracing his lips as he pushed his pawn forward two spots.

Scoffing quietly, Mello thoughtfully looked down at the board, pondering his first move. "Really Near…am I anything but?"

Time would tell…


End file.
